A chance sighting of Wab Kinew, and his as-yet unexplained refusal to take media questions after a campaign announcement this weekend, propelled the topic of Part 1 of Episode 51: The Perils of Media Scrums.
As NDP poll support plummeted, the party has been drawn off the ‘single issue ballot’ approach emphasizing health care, with multiple headlines in the Winnipeg Sun all over the policy map; but the NDP returned to their core issue this weekend with the old “but think of the children” narrative. Critics voiced sharp rebuttals to the Kinew platform: “I’m tired of raising other people’s children.”
With pledges to hire 300 nurses (with the Tories having already recruited 200) and other promises made, a reporter revealed Kinew “would not take questions from reporters” at the U of W event. Marty Gold compares Kinew’s aversion to the media, with the approach of the leader of the Manitoba Liberals.
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15:28 – A scrum with Dougald Lamont last week about housing for the homeless illustrated the risk a party leader faces when the media is allowed to engage them freely.
Listen to the logical question Marty asked about the background of Liberal candidates and how Lamont was caught off-guard, but remained respectful. Then he was challenged on the role of the City of Winnipeg in harassing certain kinds of residential property owners out of business- and while Lamont disputed the premise of the question, he made sure to explain how private owners would have a role in his policy, based on a housing model used in Medicine Hat.
19:56 – Marty gives a brief overview of housing safety issues and notes that unlike when Kinew saw the media gathered, “at least there was some dialogue there” with Lamont.
Also, the one word KInew didn’t utter in his ‘save the children’ campaign.
26:55 – The Crime Courts and Public Safety Update, sponsored by JamRock Security
Another murder on Furby; Cops look for clues in a June stabbing on west Portage, and get kudos for busting a porch pirate.
Lastly, a longtime listener sent along an item about a judge rebuking a family that had posted a surety for their 3D-printing gun-loving son, but felt their human rights were being breached when the cops kept showing up to do curfew checks.
You’ll hear their pleadings, and how they did make one particular point about police intimidation. They were worried about the neighbours in Tuxedo; the court was worried about other things. Hear about the decision and a few points the family should have considered before. (And thanks for the tip!)
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Check out my latest column at Winnipeg Tribune: Have Working Class Voters Turned Against Unions?
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